Along with a handful of former seniors including captain defender Robin Afamefuna, underclassmen starters Daryl Dike, Henry Kessler, Joe Bell and Daniel Steedman all left the program to pursue professional careers.
This marks the first time in program history that three Virginia players were selected in the first two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft.
A back-and-forth game set the stage for a dramatic finish in penalties — a 7-6 decision in favor of the Hoyas.
Virginia will now face No. 2 Georgetown in the finals of the 2019 College Cup.
Bell has had an outstanding season for Virginia, tallying six goals and four assists while serving as a co-captain alongside senior defender Robin Afamefuna.
The Cavaliers secured their 20th win courtesy of two goals by junior midfielder Joe Bell.
The two programs are facing off for only the fourth time — with the Mustangs winning the previous three meetings — and for the first time since 2008.
The last time the Cavaliers advanced to the quarterfinals was 2014, when they also secured the program’s seventh national title.
The top overall seed Cavaliers will advance to the third round after receiving a bye in the first round. Virginia will play the winner of Syracuse and 16th seeded St. John’s Saturday in Charlottesville for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The Camels rode a three-goal second half to defeat James Madison 3-1 Thursday night in order to face the Cavaliers, who earned a first-round bye as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.
The Cavaliers' last ACC championship win in 2009 was immediately followed by a national championship.
The Cavaliers (16-1-1, 6-1-1 ACC) are hoping to capture their first ACC title since 2009.
The Cavaliers downed the Demon Deacons by way of a 25th minute goal by junior forward Nathaniel Crofts.
If you saw sophomore forward Daryl Dike walking down the street, you would assume he was a football linebacker rather than a soccer player.
Despite hiccups late in the match, Virginia's defense held strong for the final 10 minutes, sealing a 2-1 win and a semifinal bid for the Cavaliers.
With a challenging road ahead of them, let’s take a look at Virginia’s path to the ACC title.
Along with winning the Coastal Division, Virginia has also secured the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament.
While the two teams have taken two very different paths this year, the upcoming game will likely be very close and be decided by several key factors.
The Cavaliers defeated the Hokies for their 41st win — out of 50 matches —against Virginia Tech, extending Virginia's undefeated streak against the Hokies to 15 games.
The Cavaliers and Hokies both enter the highly anticipated matchup after key wins against Saint Louis and Notre Dame, respectively.
